A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Vineet Saran said no further interference is required as the relief has already been granted with the appointment of a full-time CBI Director.

Former interim CBI chief Nageswara Rao at HM Ministery North Block in New Delhi. (File/Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere in the plea challenging the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as interim director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Vineet Saran said no further interference is required as the relief has already been granted with the appointment of a full-time CBI Director.

NGO Common Cause moved the Supreme Court against Rao’s appointment as interim Director of the CBI and has sought transparency in the process of short-listing, selection and appointment of CBI Director.

Three judges of the apex court — Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana had recused themselves from hearing the matter.

The plea had alleged that the October 23 last year order of the government appointing Rao as interim CBI director was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the Centre “acted in a completely malafide, arbitrary and illegal manner” to appoint him again in “complete contravention” of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.

On January 10, Rao, additional director in CBI, was made interim chief till the appointment of a new director, after the removal of CBI chief Alok Verma.

The new CBI chief, Rishi Kumar Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, took charge pm February 4.